Not An Ordinary Meeting
by LornaWinters
Summary: Janette thought she was walking into an ordinary board meeting. She thought wrong, because an unexpected guest was to show up that evening.


**Hello, readers! In the middle of composing the next chapter of **_**Romancing the Romulan**_**, my muse took a slight deviation-again. Perhaps it had something to do with a meeting I went to last night—oops! Did I just type that?**

* * *

Janette, the Executive Director of the Westglade History Museum, held her breath as she walked into the meeting. She _hated _meetings. She wasn't a person who liked conflict or confrontations. Unfortunately, not everyone on the board shared the sentiment. In particular, there was a man there who seemed determined to bring the organization down, all the while puffing away on his infernal pipe. He hated Janette, and wanted to get rid of her.

The previous evening, she had watched an episode of _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_. It was her escape, her sanctuary. Though she usually enjoyed her job a great deal, this was one of those days that she wished she was lightyears away, strolling around the exciting and exotic station that was Deep Space Nine. She imagined herself perusing the many and varied alien shops, and perhaps stopping in for a drink at Quark's Bar afterwards.

"Janette?"

She snapped back to reality. "Oh, yes, my report." She found herself wishing against the impossible odds that General Martok, the leader of the Klingon fleet, would suddenly burst into the room and smash the table, just to shake things up a bit. Afterwards, he would laugh heartily, and open a barrel of bloodwine. Now _that_ would be something to look forward to!

"Museum attendance is up from last month by ten percent-"

"I don't believe that. Tell us the exact numbers, Director Janette." Of course, it was Dr. Westpipe. The group groaned. This meant that he was on the warpath, and in consequence they would be in the meeting for most of the night while each person defended his or her report.

Before she could retort, however, the door came crashing down. Janette pinched herself, convinced it was a dream—ouch! Her heart almost stopped. At any second, General Martok would stride into the meeting. But instead, the intruder proved to be none other than Senator Vreenak, the vice-chairman of the Romulan secret service, followed by his two guards.

Janette's jaw dropped. This wasn't at all what she imagined. As a result, she had no idea what was going to happen next in this fantasy—if it was indeed a fantasy. Her aching arm suggested otherwise.

Her arch nemesis all but swallowed his pipe, but recovered quickly. "You're not a board member! You can't just parade in here uninvited! Who do you think you are?"

"Dr. Westpipe, I am Senator Vreenak of Romulus. I can go wherever I please."

On the other side of the table, the Treasurer calmly looked up from his spectacles. He alone of the group was unaffected by the sudden intrusion of a being from outer space. He was, after all, a lawyer by day, and therefore very little ever phased him. "I trust you're going to pay for the damage you've just done to the Museum's property, Senator?"

Vreenak raised a brow, as though only just then realizing what his goons had done. "Naturally. But first things first. I am here to relieve Dr. Westpipe of his position." A snap of his fingers, and the guards seized him.

"Hey! You can't do this to me! I'm an American citizen! I've got rights!"

The President of the board, a pretty blonde lady with impeccable style, sighed. "He's right, Senator. I can't let you take him without cause." Though her words were strong, her tone lacked any enthusiasm whatsoever.

The Romulan flashed a foxy smile at her. "Why, my dear Madame President, the cause is simply that your wealthiest patron is tired of a certain board member failing to do his job."

"Our wealthiest patron?" she blinked.

"Absolutely. You see, your lovely Executive Director gave me a tour recently, and I have since taken an interest in this organization of yours," Vreenak explained, with a gesture in Janette's direction, "What's more, as this house is the oldest remaining residence of your fair city, it must be preserved for the future. I am fully prepared to fund your endeavors. That is, if certain conditions are met first."

"Y'all, we need to ride this wave!" Janette, ever the opportunist, exclaimed.

"She's right," another agreed, "We need to make our town of Westglade the best in the country. This isn't something we want to pass up." Given that he owned half the town, his was not an opinion to be ignored.

Madame President didn't need to be told twice. "Well, then. Do I have a motion?" She scanned the faces of the other board members.

Captain Kelly, leader of the Civil War re-enactors, raised his hand with a devilish grin. "Move to evict Dr. Westpipe from the board." He had always wanted to say that.

"Second," came the quick reply of Jake, Janette's handsome yet shy husband. Of course, he would have been the one to make the motion himself, except he had been beaten to it. But that wouldn't stop him from driving the final blow for the wife he adored.

"NOOOOO!" Dr. Westpipe cried as the Tal Shiar agents dragged him away, never to be seen again.

Senator Vreenak smirked, and brushed the imaginary dust off his hands. "That's that. I look forward to seeing you all at the annual fundraiser next month. Until then, I'll wish you a productive meeting and bid you all a good night." With that, he left.

Everyone in the room breathed a collected sigh of relief.

"Next item on the agenda..." sang the President, ripping out the page that contained Dr. Westpipe's nonsense.

Not long afterwards, their little museum became the most famous in the country, and they all lived happily ever after.


End file.
